New Science

I dare say you could have asked Dave Gordon why he allowed the turnstiles to click on opening night when probably fully aware of the softness of the track in bends 3 and 4 before lunch on that same day.

If investigative journalism is printing one persons version of events and not challenging it when it contradicts a different version of the same event that is out in the public domain then you nailed it, Lets hail the free press who investigates a story without asking a question ? # toothless

Would all the outstanding rent from last year have been paid up

How is the progression of youngsters going to get rid of double points ? That would make a change

Not if you read this forum they don't

Fortunately for Phil Rising and the Speedway Star more speedway fans care about the music played at speedway meetings than they do about investigating journalism

You can add heat 13 of the grand final to that list. Brilliant Apologies I could only access the 2nd race. Didn't realise top one was from grand final

To be fair to Burnt Face Man he does have a point. Other than play off finals the crowd at Wolves is the lowest I've known in 30 years watching regularly.Its literally down to the die hards with big gaps on the terraces . Coupled with that is that the racing is no more than average most weeks, not a patch on what it used to be. It has to be acknowledged .

I think its a case of journalism is not dead but just not very well. I am not a journalist , all Ive done is compare the 2 written published accounts of what happened on opening night and said they contradict each other. Nothing more. As for me not liking the answers ,I couldn't find the questions. Your 4 page spread does not contain one question mark. As much as I enjoy reading Speedway Star every week when in comes to investigating the sports less favourable issues, the pretext seems to be to print a testimony of one person's version of events and accept it as the truth. Unfortunately normally your choice of to give chapter and verse is the person who is trying to save their own backside be that Dave Gordon,Greg Hancock, Ole Olsen or B.S.I. etc. etc I know the sport has been at a low ebb for a while now and these events do it no favours but there seems a reluctance to dig in these matters "for the good of the sport" and simply move on. Unfortunately it does the magazine and its readers no credit.

Comments about whether the opening night should have gone ahead are "irrelevant" to you because your magazine does not want to ask any awkward questions, as usual. Lots of fans were seriously out of pocket that night, so when major speedway meetings are called off at the last minute not due to inclement weather, then it should be investigated and the detail and sequence of events becomes important.. I know that there is a lot of good will in speedway but I'm sure many of your readers would prefer to know who actually knew what and when that night ?

Just read the Speedway Star report on the Belle Vue issues. I'm also disappointed that similar to the Greg Hancock incident in Melbourne we have an article / investigation with one sole voice referenced. The only other reference of the opening night events I've read are those of the clerk of the course for that evening which have been posted on this forum.The 2 versions of events {DG and clerk of course} seem to contradict each other a little. Dave Gordon says "During Saturday 19th March final preparations for the meeting continued and the weather during the day was fine and sunny.But as it turned cold in the evening dampness was drawn up from the sub base which we now know contained a substantial amount of sealed in water ,and up into the shale which made the surface on turns three and four softer and more inconsistent than the rest of the track. The clerk of the course said " I arrived at 10 am, it was mentioned to me that turns 3 and 4 was not as compact as they would have liked. I walked the track with meeting referee Graham Flint at 1 pm .We walked anti clockwise from bends 1 and the track was very firm until bend 3.At this point although the top layer was dry the track was not completely solid.It seemed there was softer material below the visible track surface. This seems to indicate that the track was soft on bends 3 and 4 before lunch on the day of the meeting which DG describes as"fine and sunny" and not a result it "turning cold in the evening" as DG describes. Manchester Evening News quoted "After a few practise laps the riders raised concerns over the 3rd and 4th corners complaining it was too soft" Yet again with a Speedway Star article / investigation on one of speedway's unfortunate events and you can include Greg Hancock / Gelsenkirsen / Warsaw they are not prepared to ask any difficult questions , just report established facts and one persons testimony

Please tell me Where the outdated rubbish , lies and insults are ?

Can Gavan not refer to everyone who disagrees with him as " troll "

Its a bit convenient that Gordon retires 3 days before he was effectively struck off, He knew it was going to happen and tried to site retirement to make his departure look more honourable before his speedway colleagues effectively binned him from the sport.Reading the clerk of the courses report the problems with the track were noticed at lunchtime of that day, it can't have been the first time that week that it was noticeable that the track was soft on bends 3-4. Due to the admitted financial pressure already on the promotion cancelling was not a viable financial option and they decided to muddle it through, hoping the riders would play ball and spectators would understand and put up with a track that was at best ride able . Unfortunately in the view of the riders the problems were too serious,the meeting was cancelled and the bends in question were subsequently ripped up and relayed. The deal Gordon and Morton brokered with the council was financial suicide, albeit by 2 men who had Belle Vue and speedway in their hearts, but still ridiculously over their heads in debt. Sure Gordon and Morton may not be to blame for everything but i believe their botched business plan led to poor decision making which finds us where we are today.

Opinions are fine but you have to be realistic. What you are championing the removal of ie (tactical substitute / tactical ride ) has been a part and parcel of the sport as quoted since 1955, and I would guess most in the sport believe it to be necessary.There are rules in the sport I don't like but if we all stopped going because we disliked one rule in the speedway rule book then the sport would not be in decline but dead.

If Dave Gordon is the good guy in all this why after 10 years OF hard work did he choose to step down and retire from his position as promoter at Belle Vue,conveniently just 3 days before his license was revoked by the BSPA. Surely if you have no blame to answer you stand up to these other parties who are at blame be that MCC or the BSPA .not fade away into the shadows.,

In your opinion !

Seriously how long have tactical substitutes been around ? For as long as I can remember , at least 30 years plus. Has the sport been a joke for that long ?

Get a room you 2

Write to the F.I.M and tell them

Tell me this is a wind up !

Reading the clerk of the courses report on another topic it seems that he was made aware by the promoters that there was a problem with the track on arrival at 11 am confirmed on a track walk at 1 pm. Nothing to do with temperatures dropping on the night. Lets be straight the people in charge knew there were serious issues with the track long before the gates were opened and for the Speedway Star to relentlessly defend them is shameful

You could say that the only people not in the loop regarding track problems were those that were parting with their cash to watch

The best, most balanced post I have read yet on the state of British speedway

Why is it wrong to aspire to have the best riders possible in the league. People say star riders don't attract bigger crowds. I disagree I remember the time that Emil signed for Coventry. It created a buzz , brought in more fans especially when Coventry rode away.At Wolves there was always a buzz and a bigger crowd when Nicki Pedersen returned. I'm not saying bankrupt clubs but its a fact, fans in any sports turn out to see superstars. I understand now the reasons why every year promoters will want to reduce costs, I can still see the same clubs being in the same situation at the end of next season as I can't see anything getting any better. I think in 5 years we will be left with only 2 divisions. One of current Premier League standard and the rest forming a big amateur National League